Floribunda rose plant named ‘Poulnap004’

ABSTRACT

A new garden rose plant of the Floribunda class which has abundant, pink flowers and attractive foliage. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

Botanical designation: Rosa hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Poulnap004’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of garden rose plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an unnamed seedling, and the male pollen parent, also an unnamed seedling. Both of the parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2000 and the resulting seeds were planted in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark. The new variety, named ‘Poulnap004’, originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new variety may be distinguished from its male pollen parent and female seed parent primarily by the following characteristics. The female seed parent is more compact in growth height than the new variety. The male pollen parent has flowers which are Red Group 36B while the new variety has flowers which are Red Group 49B.

The objective of the hybridization of this rose variety was to create a new and distinct variety for garden use with unique qualities, such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant pink flowers;     -   2. Vigorous, but compact growth when propagated both as a budded         rose and on its own roots;     -   3. Exceptional disease resistance.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously available commercial cultivars of this type, known to the inventor, and distinguish ‘Poulnap004’ from all other varieties of which we are aware.

As part of the rose development program, Mogens N. Olesen germinated the seeds from the aforementioned hybridization during winter of 2000 and conducted evaluations on the resulting seedlings in a controlled environment in Fredensborg, Denmark. ‘Poulnap004’ was selected in the spring of 2001 by the inventor as a single plant from the progeny of the aforementioned hybridization.

Asexual reproduction of ‘Poulnap004’ by traditional budding and rooted cuttings was first done by Mogens N. Olesen in the nursery in Fredensborg, Denmark in July, 2001. This initial and other subsequent asexual propagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Poulnap004’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Poulnap004’.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 are leaves, bare stems exhibiting thorns, petals detached, a cluster of flower buds on a branch, sepals detached, and reproductive flower parts.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 2 is a cluster of open flowers. Plants shown are 1 year of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of ‘Poulnap004’, as observed in its growth in an open air container nursery in Denmark. Observed plants are 1 year of age, and were grown on their own roots in 23 cm containers. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety ‘Poulbella’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,904 are compared to ‘Poulnap004’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Poulnap004’ ‘Poulbella’ Petal Count 35 35-40 Flower Diameter 100 mm 50-80 mm General Tonality Red Group 49B Red-Purple Group 57C of Flower Color

Flower and Flower Bud

-   Blooming habit: Continuous. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—Upon opening, 30 mm in length from base of receptacle             to end of bud. Bud diameter is 14 mm.         -   Bud form.—Ovoid.         -   Bud color.—As sepals divide petals are Red Group 51B.         -   Sepal inner surface.—Color: Green Group 138C. Surface:             Moderately pubescent.         -   Sepal outer surface.—Color: Green Group 143B with             intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183B. Texture: Rough.         -   Sepal shape.—Apex: Cirrhose. Base: Flat at union with             receptacle.         -   Sepal margin.—Margins have weak foliaceous appendages on             three of the five sepals.         -   Sepal size.—27 mm long, 10 mm wide.         -   Receptacle.—Texture: Smooth. Size: 7 mm in height, 7 mm             wide. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A. Shape: Campanulate.         -   Pedicel.—Surface: Smooth. Length: About 45 mm. Diameter: 3             mm on average. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144D. Strength:             Moderate.         -   Peduncle.—Length: 5 to 25 cm. Diameter: About 3 to 4 mm.             Color: Yellow-Green Group 146D. Texture: Smooth. -   Flower bud development: Flower buds are borne in corymbs of 3 to 5     flower buds. -   Flower bloom:     -   -   Fragrance.—Moderate old rose scent.         -   Duration.—The blooms have a duration on the plant of             approximately 10 days. Petals fall cleanly away from plant             after flowers have fully matured.         -   Size.—Flower diameter is 100 mm when open. Flower depth is             30 mm.         -   Flower shape.—Open cup, double flower, with petals that             curve out from the center.         -   Shape of flower, side view.—The upper portion is flat. The             lower portion is a flattened convex. -   Petalage: Under normal conditions, flowers have 35 petals total, 10     of which are petaloids. -   General tonality of flower: Open flowers are Red Group 49B.     -   -   Petal color.—Upon opening, inner and outer petals Upper             surface: Red Group 49B. Lower surface: Red Group 49A. Basal             petal spots, upon opening: Upper surface: Yellow Group 10A.             Lower surface: Yellow Group 10B. After opening, inner and             outer petals Upper surface: Red Group 49C. Lower surface:             Red Group 49D. Basal petal spots, after opening: Upper             surface: Yellow Group 11A. Lower surface: Yellow Group 11B. -   Petals:     -   -   Petal reflex.—Weak.         -   Margin.—Entire with occasional cleft. No undulations.         -   Shape.—Generally ovate. Apex shape: Rounded. Base shape:             Rounded.         -   Size.—45 mm (l)×45 mm (w).         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Thickness.—Average. -   Petaloids:     -   -   Size.—20 mm (l) by 12 mm (w).         -   Quantity.—About 10.         -   Shape.—Irregular and asymmetric. The apex and base are             acute.         -   Color.—Upper surface is Red Group 49B. Lower surface is Red             Group 49A. Petaloid spots at the base are Yellow Group 10A             at the upper surface. Yellow Group 10B at the lower surface. -   Reproductive flower parts:     -   -   Pollen.—None observed.         -   Anthers.—Size: 3 mm in length. Color: Yellow-Orange Group             23A. Quantity: 130 on average.         -   Filaments.—Color: Yellow-Orange Group 20A. Length: 7 mm.         -   Pistils.—Length: 5 mm. Quantity: 75 on average.         -   Stigmas.—Color: Yellow Group 4C.         -   Styles.—Color: Yellow Group 4C. Location of stigmas: Level             in location relative to the length of the filaments and the             height of the anthers.         -   Hips.—None Observed.

Plant

-   Plant growth: Upright, bushy. Plants are 50 cm in height, and 40 cm     wide. -   Stems:     -   -   Color.—Juvenile growth: Yellow-Green Group 144D. Mature             growth: Yellow-Green Group 146D.         -   Length.—On average, canes are 40 cm from the base of the             plant to the flowering portion.         -   Diameter.—8 mm.         -   Internodes.—On mature canes about 40 mm between nodes.         -   Surface texture.—Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth. -   Long prickles:     -   -   Incidence.—10 prickles per 10 cm of stem.         -   Size.—Average length of prickles on mature stems is x mm.         -   Shape.—Upper portion is concave. Lower portion is concave.         -   Color.—Juvenile prickles: Greyed-Red Group 179C. Mature             prickles: Greyed-Red Group 180A. -   Plant foliage:     -   -   Compound leaf.—160 mm (l)×110 (w).         -   Quantity.—2 or 3 leaves per 10 cm of stem on average.         -   Leaf bearing angle to the stem.—45 degrees.         -   Color of mature foliage.—Upper side: Yellow-Green Group             147A. Lower side: Green Group 138D. -   Plant leaves and leaflets:     -   -   Stipules.—Size: 10 mm long, 7 mm wide. Quantity: 2 per             compound leaf. Shape: Linear, slightly broad based with             outward extending apices. Margins: Finely serrated. Color:             Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Petiole.—Length: 25 mm. Diameter: 2 mm.         -   Upper surface.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Lower surface.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A.         -   Rachis.—Length: About 25 mm. Upper surface: Color:             Yellow-Green Group 146B.         -   Lower surface.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A. Observations:             Smooth.         -   Leaflet.—Quantity: Normally 5 to 7 leaflets. Margins:             Serrulate. Size: On average terminal leaflets are 60 mm             long, 50 mm wide. Shape: Generally elliptical. Base:             Rounded. Apex: Mucronate. Texture: Smooth. Thickness:             Average. Arrangement: Odd pinnate. Venation: Reticulate.             Glossiness: Moderately glossy. -   Disease resistance: Above average resistance to powdery mildew     Sphaerotheca pannosa, downy mildew Peronospora sparsa, rust     Phragmidium sps., black spot Diplocarpon rosae, and Botrytis cinerea     under normal growing conditions. -   Cold hardiness: The variety is tolerant to USDA Cold Hardiness Zone     6. -   Heat tolerance: The variety has been found to be suitable for     climate conditions found in the American Horticulture Society heat     zone 7. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the Floribunda rose class named ‘Poulnap004’, substantially as illustrated and described herein, due to its abundant pink flowers, disease resistance, and extended period of bloom. 